So Close And Yet So Far
by IluvMarkSalling
Summary: Sequel to 'Someday We Will Meet Again', and 'I'm Coming Back Home'. This is Shelby's first steps towards meeting Rachel.


** PLEASE READ! A/N: Two stories in one day, I feel like a superhero ;)**

**I don't own a single thing. Oh, how I wish I did.**

Jesse St. James is the cockiest, asshole freshman you have ever encountered in your ten years of teaching. He's also the most talented. If you can make him a star, it will mean big things for your career. He certainly has got what it takes. He can sing like a dream, his dance moves are to die for, and with his dark, perfectly coiffed curly hair, and lean, but muscular body, you know he will be a heart breaker. He immediately becomes your new male lead, but in a strange way, more than that. He reminds you of yourself, dramatic, strong willed, determined. That's how you imagined your baby as well. Jesse's parents are never around, and when they are, don't really care about him, so in a way, he fills in for your daughter, and you fill in for his parents. It's quite strange, and inappropriate too, but after you win your first national title in his freshman year, you are both in each other's lives, and nothing can change that.

* * *

Three years later, Jesse is a senior. You've won Nationals every year since his freshman, and nothing can bring Vocal Adrenaline down. In addition to Jesse, your stars are your female leads, Andrea and Gisele, and your triple flipper, Chris. With the four of them, you feel unstoppable. Until you hear about New Directions. A team brought back from the dead by Will Schuester. He was the Jesse St. James of your day. He was your biggest competition.

* * *

Vocal Adrenaline sees no point in checking out New Directions, but from what you've heard, they could maybe even be competition for you. So you, and your team go to their sectional. The first team is a bunch of halfway house girls, and most of the audience's applause comes from fear. Their vocals are good, by normal standards. By Vocal Adrenaline Standards, they are crap. Though you came to see McKinley high, you make a mental note of their performance. Even if they win, you will destroy them. The second performance is a deaf choir. Your team snickers, and you throw them glares. It is insensitive to make fun of them, but even still, you can't help but think that it's a _singing _competition. The McKinley kids are up now, and you straighten up in your seat a little bit. When you hear the opening bars of 'Don't Rain On My Parade', you relax again. They've killed whatever chance they had at winning. There is just no way that some teenage girl can measure up to Barbra, and to even try, is basically throwing the competition. But when the girl enters and starts singing, you are stunned. She sounds good; Really good, actually. You start to unfold the program in your hands, to find out who the girl is, but when she turns around and you see her face, there is absolutely no need. The brown eyes, thick dark hair, tan skin, you know that's your baby. You rapidly blink back tears. She's even more beautiful than you remember. For the rest of the performance, you can't take your eyes off her. Her voice is amazing, with some training from you, she would be even better. The dance moves seem unrehearsed, but you don't even care. This is the most wonderful performance you have ever seen.

When the winners are announced, you aren't at all surprised, but still, you feel incredibly proud even though you know you have no right to. As you are leaving the auditorium, Jesse catches up to you.

"Shelby!" He calls. His voice barely registers until he grabs your arm to slow you. "Are you okay?" Jesse asks.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine, Jess." You reply.

"No you're not. I've never seen you act like this. What's wrong? You can tell me anything."

You look into his green eyes, seeing only concern for you.

"New Directions female lead. She's- she's my daughter." The last word is barely audible, but Jesse heard loud and clear. His expression turns to one of pure shock.

"You never told me you had a daughter. I thought we told each other everything. Why haven't I seen her?" He asks.

"Jess, I didn't tell you because I don't know her. I was very young when I had her. I was a surrogate for her two fathers. I was so hell bent to get out of Ohio, and my parents wanted me to wait until after college to try and make it on Broadway, and I didn't want to wait. I thought that it would be simple. Carry the baby for nine months, then go to New York and make it big. At that time, I hadn't even thought about having children, so I honestly didn't know how attached I would get to the baby. But when I heard her little heart beat, I realized that I had a little person growing inside of me. When I had to give her up, it killed me." At this point, you are too choked up to speak.

"Is there anything I can do?" Jesse asks.

You swallow hard. "That's really sweet Jess, but-" You stop. Your mind is going a mile a minute. "Actually yes. Yes, there is something you can do."

* * *

Later on, when you are at home, you look at the program from the sectionals. You scan the names of New Directions until you see** Rachel Berry**.

"Rachel." You say. It's a beautiful name. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl.

As you lie in bed that night, you whisper four words.

"I love you Rachel." You close your eyes and drift off to sleep, your Rachel's ballad playing over and over in your head.

**A/N : PLEASE READ! The next story in this series will probably be Shelby meeting Rachel. So I want to know if you guys want them to 'live happily ever after' kind of thing, or if I should stick to the actual plot in the show. Please review, you don't even have to have an account.**


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